Something everyone has to go through. Pain. Such a small word, but every time you hear it, you cringe a little. We each have our own pain that we go through. Whether it's from physical pain; breaking a leg, having surgery, closing your fingers inside the door. Whether it's from mental pain; depression, anxiety, or another mental illness. Whether it's from emotional pain; heartbreak, loneliness, or failure. Each and every single person has things that they go through everyday. Most people will go through things that you don't even know.

For myself, I'm not very good at hiding simple emotions. You can usually tell if I am happy, sad, angry, excited, etc. But, I am a pro at hiding my feelings about what is really going on. For example, most people don't truly know how I feel about the pain that I have to go through and face everyday. Most people just assume they know what is going on. Most people don't take the time to actually realize what is going on. Most people just go on with their day not giving it a second thought.

Growing up I never wanted to talk to people about my vascular malformation. I didn't want people to ask questions, I didn't want people to ask how I was doing, and I certainly didn't want people to tell me they hope it gets better. I would always appreciate people telling me they were praying for me but that still always made me feel uncomfortable. I just wanted to feel like an average kid. It wasn't until the end of high school that I began realizing that this was more of a blessing than I realized it to be. I wasn't meant to be just like everyone else (everyone is unique don't get me wrong), but I was chosen for this.

I had finally decided to quit being afraid of what people thought and stop trying to hide who I was. This is the way God wanted me to be so I shouldn't hide who I am nor be afraid to show other people. I finally decided to start facing my pain instead of hiding from it. Trust me this was and is no easy task as I am still reminding myself everyday to do it. But if I don't face it and let it take over my life, I will never be truly happy. And this can be said for anyone. I will never forget the time when one of my doctor's told me that I had the most perseverance he has ever seen. As a kid I didn't know what that meant, but when I found out, it changed my life. If I have the strength to get through surgeries and judgements, I know I have the strength to get through anything. You have to persevere and realize how strong you truly are to be able to face what you are going through. This can then only lead you to a happier life.

Not being real with yourself about how you are doing or what you are going through will only lead to you being more unhappy. As humans, we need to realize that everyone has things that they are going through. We need to stop the judgements and we need to stop being afraid of telling people the truth. Humans always think they need to know what's going on in every single person's life, but that's not our right. Every person deserves to tell their own story when they are ready. But, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to talk about what is going on in your mind. Don't be afraid to tell people what you are going through. Don't be afraid to face your pain. You never know who you will inspire, influence, or change. You are only alive for a certain amount of time, don't waste it. Get out and live. Go out and face your pain instead of hiding from it.